


The Golden Years

by Fallen_Seraphina



Series: Sugar and Ash [1]
Category: One Piece
Genre: Action/Adventure, F/F, Gen, M/M, Mentions of Past Slavery, Original Character(s), Past Abuse, Past setting, literal decades before current timeline
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-27
Updated: 2018-11-04
Packaged: 2019-07-23 15:54:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,706
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16162100
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fallen_Seraphina/pseuds/Fallen_Seraphina
Summary: They were twelve when they met, full of hope for the future. One wanted freedom and adventure on the open seas, the other just wanted freedom. Neither will give up on their goals as they grow, as they face childhood, as they begin their journey to becoming pirates.The Great Pirate Era? The Pirate King? These have yet to come. The world was very different, all these years ago.





	1. On the Shore

**Author's Note:**

> Exactly 4 years ago I wrote a short story about several of my OC's: the Candy Pirates. The story is still on my ffn account, if anyone ever wants to read it.  
> Four years later, I decided to completely revise and redo the story I had in store for these characters I loved so much.  
> This story has gone through so much in 4 years, especially with me completely changing entire parts of the story and just really only leaving the concept for the old plot.

_Run. Run until you make it to shore, then find a boat. Any boat._

_Just get away, fast as you can. They can't find you after that._

_Just, run..._

* * *

The sun was just beginning to set below the horizon, turning the sky soft shades of pink and purple. The wind blew steadily, slowly gaining more and more speed as the shadows stretched across the shore. There was a comforting silence, accompanied by the waves splashing against the pink sand below.

The small, ruined boat washed up on the shore in that late afternoon, quietly disrupting the calm of the beach. It was barely holding together, the wood rotted and torn apart from the rough waters. It slumped into the pinkish sand. The wind blew roughly as the tide began to rush along the rickety boat's bottom, threatening to pull it back into the sea. A figure moved within the boat, slumped against its side.

"Candy! Candy, get away from the shore, the tides are picking up!" A hoarse voice suddenly called out from the edge of a cliff top. Bellow was a twisting path leading to a small shoreline, and there stood a small girl. Her light blue hair fell unevenly in her face. She lowed the toy telescope from her face, eyes fixed on what she thought was a fishing boat. Her brows furrowed.

She glanced back at the man who had spoken, frowning slightly. "I see a boat over there, Grandpa! I think there's someone inside!" She called back up to him, collapsing her telescope and rushing off down the beach without another word.

"What?!" He nearly yelled, hurrying down the pathway and towards his granddaughter. He nearly froze when he saw what she had seen; the fishing boat, riddled with holes and decay. Much of it looks weeks old, but some he had no doubt came from the storm last night. But what was most frightening was what was inside. A small child, hardly even younger than Candy. Her hair was braided slightly, though it was hard to tell with how matted it was. She was shivering- the only sign that she was alive. As he approached, he could see his granddaughter leaning over to examine the girl, asking if she was awake but getting no reply.

"Candy, come here please; I'll take care of this." He gently grabbed Candy's hand, guiding her away from the boat. She was easily moved, but didn't go far. He crouched down at the edge, examining her. "She's bleeding... Possibly has a broken arm."

"We're gonna take care of her, right? We won't leave her, right?" Candy asked behind him, blue eyes staring widely at the stranger. He stared at the small, shaking body as he contemplated what to do. Slowly, hesitantly, he turned back to his granddaughter. When she received a nod from him, she smiled. "I'll go tell grandma!" She stood, turning and running back up the shoreline and up with pathway.

He sighed, reaching out a hand to the girl, only to have her flinch away. He paused, studying the girl. Her eyes had opened, wide green eyes staring cautiously up at him. One had a filmy cover over it, making it come off as a lighter color. Was she blind? "I won't hurt you... I just want to get you somewhere safe." He felt his heart clench at how her body went rigid at the word 'safe', as if that word alone set her on edge. "I just want to help…" He tried again, moving his hand more slowly to lift her up into his arms. She made no move to struggle, allowing his to pick her up gingerly. Her head sagged against his chest, barely able to keep upright. He'd come back for the boat later, if it's still there in the morning.

He walked back up the shore, the small girl slowly calming down in his arms. She clung to his shirt, continuing to shiver. Her eyes had closed again, and she seemed to have fallen asleep. He sighed, looking down at her. "... Just where did you come from?"

* * *

"Her back!" His wife gasped as she helped him get the strange girl bandaged. And she had good reason to. There was no doubt what the dark cross burned into her back was: the mark of the Silver Cross Trading Company. Anything with that brand belonged to them, people included. The girl was a runaway slave. The man looked back at his wife, frowning. Her eyes were wide with worry and fear. "We need to do something." She whispered, She grabbed her husband's arm, shaking slightly at the sight.

"I know we do... But she's only a child." He mumbled, turning back and continuing to wrap her wounds. After a moment, he spoke again. "We can't just throw her out..." He continued, brows furrowed in thought.

"... We'll be the only ones to know she has it. We could keep her safe here." The woman said softly, still shaking. She still seemed uneasy about it, but she didn't want to see the girl hurt either. She took a deep breath and turned back towards the door, "Candy? Could you come here for a moment?" She called as the man finished bandaging the girl.

The small girl walked in slowly, "Is she gonna be okay now?" She asked quietly, walking over to stand beside her grandpa. "Will she be-" She blinked, pausing as she saw the brand on the girl's back. "What's that?" She asked.

"She'll be fine, just needs some rest. So no loud games for a while, okay?" When he received a nod, he continued. "This..." He knew he had to pick his words carefully, "This is a very bad mark, okay? The other villagers can't see it, it'll get this girl into a lot of trouble, you understand?" He got another nod as a reply. "So I'm asking that you keep this mark a secret, okay? No one can know."

She stared at the girl, then at her grandpa. "A secret? Like a  _super secret secret_?" The elderly couple nodded. She smiled, and both grandparents smiled as well. "Okay! I'll be the best secret keeper in the world!"

"That's good, Candy." He praised, earning a small giggle from the blue haired girl. He stood with a grunt, grabbing the damp washcloth from beside the girl. "Now, I'll go get some more things..." He announced.

Her grandmother stood as well, casting a final glance towards the two girls before following her husband. Her dark eyes shone with worry, but she said nothing. Both came back with more bandages and a sling. Candy moved away as they continued to work, gently cleaning and wrapping her cuts and broken arm. She winced at some of the deeper cuts as they stitched them together as best they could, but remained sleeping through it all.

As they began clearing away everything, Candy came to sit beside the sleeping girl once again. Her grandmother stood beside her, resting a hand on her shoulder. She slowly reached over, placing a soft kiss on the girl's forehead before smiling gently. "Come on- we should let her rest now." She whispered, "You could help me with dinner. How does that sound?"

The blue haired girl looked at her, nodding her head. "Okay." She answered, letting herself be lead out of the room by the older woman.

The old man hesitated, looking the girl over once more before following the two to the kitchen. He stood in the doorway with the first aid kit in one hand and a candle in the other. His gaze hardened in determination as he watched her; he'd protect her, no matter what. He blew out the candle and closed the door, letting the brunette continue to sleep through the night.


	2. Waking Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> She wakes up.

Candy sat quietly at the foot of the bed, watching the girl as she slept. Now that everything was done, she could easily make out small details about the girl. Her hair had to be cut to get rid of the matted parts, but she could tell it was brown. The short, uneven strands framed her thin face, falling gently over her bandages. Her face had small cuts covering them, but was for the most part blemish-free. Her eyebrows were furrowed, even in sleep. And her cheeks were flushed. Maybe she had a fever? She'd have to ask grandpa later. But, with as many things as she could see, she still knew next to nothing about the girl. Where did she come from? Why is she hurt? What's the mark on her back? She sighed, "I wish I at least knew your name..."

As if in response to her words, the blue haired girl nearly jumped as a small groan escaped the unconscious girl, her body shifting slightly as her hazy eyes cracked open. Candy stared in shock, eyes wide as the brunette let out a weak cough. Her chest heaved as she tried to curl into a ball, hands gripping the sheets. "You're awake!" She gasped, grinning.

The girl didn't reply, still staring at her through hooded eyes. She opened her mouth as if to speak, but her hoarse voice only made her cough once again. She winced, trying to curl further into herself. She looked miserable and completely out of it with exhaustion and a possible fever. Candy stood slowly, staring for a moment before nodding her head in understanding. "I'll be right back!" She said before turning and hurrying out of the room. "Grandpa!" She called as she reached the stairs, leaning over the railing.

As soon as the blue-haired girl was out of sight, she tried sitting up, flinching when she used her bad arm. She blinked her eyes, looking around the bright room. Everything was neat: a bookshelf in one corner and a piano in another. It all seemed... Peaceful. She glanced over at the window, a small potted flower resting on the sill. Even outside it seemed peaceful, children running down one road and houses scattered unevenly. She smiled lightly, feeling tears brimming over her eyes. "I made it..." She whispered shakily, voice hoarse.

She turned quickly to look back at the door, hearing it swing open. An old man stood in the doorway, eyes staring widely at the girl. She gripped her bed sheets. From the boat earlier... She blinked, seeing the Candy beaming at her from behind her grandpa. He stepped closer, smiling gently. "So you're awake! Well, good to see that!" He laughed, making her shudder. He stopped at seeing the shudder. He lifted his hands, baring them as he approached more slowly. "We were all starting to get a little worried, there- it's been a couple of days since we found you."

She blinked, staring wide-eyed at him for a moment before looking back down at the sheets. "Thank you." She managed, voice barely above a whisper.

"Think nothing of it!" He brushed off her thanks, smiling gently down at her. "We couldn't in conscience leave you there on the shore." He slowly sat down at the end of the bed. Candy stood in the doorstep, grinning as she watched them. "You had some nasty injuries, I gotta say- fractured elbow, broken wrist, a whole lot of cuts and bruises… Not to mention seriously malnourished and dehydrated."

"... Sorry." She said softly, eyes staring at the cast around her arm. It ached.

Once again, he just smiled. "Nothing to be sorry for." He moved to continue speaking but paused and turned back to Candy. "Hey, could you go see if dinner is almost done?"

She blinked, pulling herself up to stand straight. "Okay." She turned and hurried back down to the kitchen, leaving the two alone.

As soon as she was gone, the old man turned back to the girl and took a deep breath. "... Now, I don't wanna scare you, but we do need to talk about where you came from." She tensed immediately, eyes not leaving her now shaking hands. "When we patched you up, we… saw something." He tried to put it delicately.

"You..." Saw my back? She couldn't come to say the entire question, though from the way he nodded, she could only guess that he had. She sunk into the bed, feeling her stomach drop. She shook, "Please... Please don't send me back! Please, I'll do anything!" She looked up at the man, cheeks red as tears began rolling down her face. Her breath came out raggedly.

He leaned closer, bringing his full weight onto the bed. He smiled and shook his head, slowly bringing a hand to rest on her shoulder. She tried to flinch away, but the hand stayed. Firm, and comforting. "You're staying right here, don't you worry. We don't plan on sending you anywhere." Her eyes widened, staring up at the man. She could... Stay?

"I…" She choked out a sob, bringing her good hand to cover her mouth. Her heart was racing in that moment with hesitation and relief. She desperately wanted to believe his words. Her shoulders shook with the force of her sobs, and all the while he simply sat there and let her cry.

"Grandpa, Grammy wants you-" Candy walked back into the room, grin immediately dropping when she saw the brunette's flushed cheeks and tears. "You made her cry!" She gasped.

"What! No, I-" He snapped his head around, trying to defend himself but to no avail. She was already shoving him off the bed, brows furrowed and lips set in a large frown.

"Go bother Grammy or something! Don't make my friends cry!" She scolded.

He opened his mouth to protest until he noticed the small smile that had appeared on the girl's mouth as she watched their exchange. He huffed, smiling a little himself. "I'm going, I'm going!" He stood, letting himself be pushed out of the room by a girl a third of his size.

As soon as he was gone and the door was shut, Candy swung around to face the injured girl. She plopped down on the bed, worry all over her face. "Are you okay? Do I have to beat him up? He wasn't being mean to you, was he?"

She shook her head slowly, utterly perplexed by this girl.

"Are you sure? He can be a meanie sometimes, especially when he tells me i'm not allowed to go pick fights with people in town." She scooted closer, crossing her arms over her chest. "But I'm 12! So I can go fight whoever I want!" She boasted, "But not you-" She added, "You're my friend, so we can't fight."

"O-Okay…?" She answered, still very confused. Her tears had stopped, though, and the shaking had subsided. He blue haired girl's rambling had put her at ease somewhat.

"We're gonna be great friends! And I can show you all my favourite places when you're all better." She grinned, "The island's pretty small, but there's a lot of neat things here! Like there's the bakery- I heard the baker's daughter or something started working there, too… Oh, and the docks! I love the docks. There's always weird people that stop by here, you know? Because we're never in the same place- which also technically means I've been everywhere. Like right now! We just got out of the Grandline, and we're moving towards the East Blue…"

She leaned against the headboard, eyes becoming fixed with the girl in front of her as she rambled on. Her hands move wildly as she talks, eyes bright as she continues talking about the people and places on the strange little island.

"... And the Calm Belt is always a wild ride to travel through- oh!" She stopped her tangent, suddenly looking at the injured girl intensely. She blinked, staring back confused and caught off guard. "I completely forgot!" She leaned forward, "What's your name?" She grinned.

The brunette stared at her in surprise, eyes wide at the question. She'd expected that question to come up sooner or later, but it still caught her by surprise. She took a deep breath, looking down at her hands once again as she worked up the courage to answer. "Its… Lucca." She said finally.

"My name is Lucca."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Still a short chapter- I promise, they'll get longer later. I'm just having some trouble figuring out where to cut chapters. This thing is a lot.  
> \- Sugar Island is an island of my own design, famous for somehow naturally moving among the Blues. It's pink sands and oddly sweet tasting food makes the sugar here well sought after. Furthermore, due to it naturally moving through oceans, it is near impossible to track it. No logpose can point to it.

**Author's Note:**

> Short, but sweet. The first few chapters will probably all be like that until I get a good foothold for what I'm going to be doing.  
> I may make this into a series, with their childhood being the first part and their pirate years going into a different part. I dunno yet.  
> Candy and Lucca are both 12 years old in this part. This story, if you read the tags, does take place decades before Luffy begins his journey. They set out on their own pirate adventure at 18, which is 73 years in the past. Whitebeard would've been a year old, if anyone is curious.   
> Just a fun fact, I guess. 
> 
> This story will update weekly until all the childhood parts are published, and then I'll probably take a short break to get caught up.


End file.
